The 2015 federal election saw the most women elected to Parliament yet. But with women making up only 26 percent of MPs, it’s clear that structural barriers to political participation remain. For racialized and Indigenous women, the path to politics is harder still.

This week, Erin Tolley and Mitzie Hunter come on the podcast to discuss the experiences of racialized women in politics. Erin Tolley is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto and the author of Framed: Media and the Coverage of Race in Canadian Politics. Mitzie Hunter is the member of provincial Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood and finance critic for the Ontario Liberals.

This article is part of the Changing the way we talk about women in politics special feature.

Photo: A Daughters of the Vote (DOV) event, organized by Equal Voice Canada, takes place in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick


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Erin Tolley
Erin Tolley is assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto.
Mitzie Hunter
Mitzie Hunter is the MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood and recently served as the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. She has served as the Minister of Education and the Associate Minister of Finance, responsible for pension reform. She is the former CEO of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance